We all know the importance of hydrating our body with good old fashion water. We know that our body is comprised of water. We know that when our body runs out of water, we crave it.
However, with the multitude of waters out there, which one do you pick? And which are good for your mouth and gums?
Thousands of theories out there about what is best for your body.
Here’s my personal choice: Essentia.
I like water that is alkaline… A pH greater than 7.
Alkaline water helps you neutralize the acidity in your body. Most professionals feel that an acidic body is less resistant to “bugs” that can cause you to get sick. Drinking a certain water that balances out that acidic environment would be a plus.
Alkaline water is usually made by splitting the water molecules so that you have some H ions and some OH ions. Water with more OH ions is alkaline.
There are in fact at home water ionizers that can do this process.
For right now, I’d rather purchase the alkaline bottled water even though there are some very legitimate reasons why you should not buy bottled water (waste and energy put into the manufacturing and deliver to name a few).
I’ve been drinking Essentia water (website) for a while and can feel some great results. It is great tasting and the color of course is clear. You can purchase these bottles at select food stores or you can get it from our website (buy Essentia Water).
What I like most about it is its taste and the results… it just makes me feel better. My bowel movements are better and my teeth feel better.
Alkaline water is also believed to be a natural anti-oxidant… a point I firmly agree with.
Drinking and swishing your mouth can have some dental benefits, too. Water has a cleansing effect inside the mouth. It “washes” away debris, just like saliva. But because a lot of the germs in the mouth and the foods we eat are acidic, this Essentia water is great to counter act the acid and increase the pH inside the mouth.
I’ve always promoted staying away from as many acidic foods as possible and minimizing the frequency of meals. For 20 minutes after you eat something (no matter how large the portion), you have an acid attack on your gums and enamel.
Want to know how to prevent cavities? Keep the acidity low (or make the pH high) in your mouth.
So as I like alkaline water for its systemic effects, it is also good for the mouth… surely you’ll make your dentist and dental hygienist happy.
As far as negatives, the environmental problems is what really stands out. Bottled water takes a tremendous amount of energy and resources to produce and transport. It also can sit in plastic bottles for months before consumption. But despite the drawbacks, Essentia water is still preferable over almost all municipal water sources in the United States. The best alternative would be an ionizer installed in your home or place of work, but it requires a tremendous monetary investment. In the future, we will be installing an ionizer in our office for the benefit of our patients.
As a San Diego dentist, anything I can do to help my patients is definitely worth the investment.
To Your Health!
Dr. Marvin
PS: If you’d like to buy a bottle of Essentia water, many health food stores and some grocery stores carry it in multiple sizes. We carry the large size (about 1.5 Liters) on our website: Purchase Essentia Water.
Medically known as hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid is not usually serious. It is easily treated by taking hormone tablets to replace the hormones that your thyroid isn’t making.:'”..
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This summer I purchased several boxes of Essentia Water & left them in my car for a couple of hours. The outside temp was at least 80 degrees. Is this water safe to drink? Thank you
Water that is drunk enters the stomach. The stomach has a natural healthy pH 2. It is highly acidic!! Drinking alkaline water therefore stimulates the production of MORE acid to counteract the alkali
(the stomach’s pH is designed to kill bacteria and begin the digestion of food)
Hello my friend! I want to say that this post is awesome, nice written and come with almost all important infos. I’d like to see extra posts like this .
Hi Dr Marvin,.. Ive been drinking this water for a while.. A friend of mine showed me a water he prefers.. Its called Metroelectro Micronutrient Water. I read a review of it here.. http://www.iateapie.net/reviews/archives/2011/04/metroelectro-mi.php
I was curious how you compare the two? Are they equal to you? and does the
Metroelectro Micronutrient Water have anything that the Essentia does not? Please share your opinion… Thanks..
Hello,
I was just told by my physician that I have hypothyroid (minimally underactive thyroid). Will Essentia Water do any good for it?
That’s a great question to ask your physician (or an ND, if you have one). Not something I know the answer to. Sorry.
Zaida,
Not quire sure as I’m not an expert at the thyroid. What I do know is that fluoride and mercury (2 materials used in dentistry) are known to cause hypothyroidism. Take a look at those areas if you have that condition.
Dr. Marvin
As a DDS and supposedly trained as a scientist, you should do your homework and investigate alkaline water. My point being that your body’s pH is driven by the food you eat and a high alkaline water will have very little affect on it if any at all. Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables is what you need to do to raise the pH of your body. If you drink a high pH water it only gets reduced to a low pH i.e acid when it hits the stomach. And if you were to drink enough high pH water to increase the pH of your stomach you would disrupt the digestion process and cause problems for yourself. There is no good science to support that a high pH water is of benefit and will increase the body’s pH; People are using junk science to support their theory.
Paul, thanks for the comment. You’re definitely correct: food and your body itself are the primary factors into your pH, not water. That said, the article is mean to share my personal opinion on which water I drink. Is alkaline water good for you? Yes. Will it have a dramatic effect on your overall health? Probably not… But I’m not making that claim; I’m just sharing my personal preference and experience. Alkaline water does have a positive effect on the teeth, but any filtered water is good for your teeth: you need to rinse away the acid generated after you eat.
Thanks for correctly pointing out that food is the primary effector of body pH. Sorry if it wasn’t clear that this was a personal water preference, not a scientific article.
Dr. Marvin
i just did a study on testing this water with testing strips. i also tested arrowhead, hawaiian and fiji.
here are the results:
fuji: 8.5
arrowhead: 7.5
essentia: 7.2
hawaiian: 7.0
WHY this is, i do not know. maybe it is 9.5 when they bottled it. but this was tested using two strips per sample. essentia’s claim of “9.5” appears to be extremely far off the mark. i urge you to test this yourself. i have not seen other reports of testing.
Did you ever buy a water ionizer/alkalinizer if so how do you like it? I plan to be in market for one later on this year. My Chiropractor swears by the one made by Kangen.
Is Essentia water safe for an infant ?
It should be, as it’s just water. You should always check with your pediatrician though, to make sure it’s okay in your particular case.
I just have a question..I know about the ph etc…i just wondered if this water is like most . I wooory about the mineral thing…Do I need to supplement with something in the mineral department.???Thanks Jessie
Hi Jessie, this really depends on what minerals your body needs in particular based on your diet, etc. I would recommend you see a practitioner to find out which minerals you are low in and what you might need / how to best go about getting it into your syste,.
Are there any other ways to alkalinize my water? (I haven’t found this brand and don’t like to order water to be shipped.)
There are a few ways. Most are quite expensive, but if you search for water ionizer or water alkalizer you’ll find plenty. You can also look at Kangen water (some people swear by it, others denounce it). The easiest way is bottled water that’s already alkaline (there are a couple brands other than Essentia), but there are products on the market if you want to do it yourself.
Good luck!
I had too much water lsast few days and having stomach pain. Is this cause any issues. If I get pregnant, are there any impacts? please advice..
Is this water better to give a baby (10 months) than say Evian mineral water? I just moved from the US to London, and nursery water is not available here. I understand mineral water is bad for a baby’s kidneys, but I can’t imagine the level of lime in the tap water here (especially if boiled, as recommended) is any better than Evian. Essentia has no nitrates, silica, etc but elevated levels of potassium, megnesium and socium. I wonder how this plays out with a baby’s kidneys. Any advice appreciated! Please feel free to respond directly to karen_k_crew@yahoo.com
Karen, please let me know if you didn’t receive my email. I hope I answered your questions.
Cheers,
Dr. Marvin
I realize that this article is alomost a year old, but I would like to know if keeping the PH high as you have suggested would also help in reducing or minimizing tarter on the teeth? I do not or have not had a cavity problem, but do have a problem with tarter build up.
Tartar builds up because of plaque that isn’t removed quickly. The minerals in the saliva adhere to the plaque and harden into tartar. From what I notice, the tartar builds up quicker in an alkaline environment. Your best bet is to floss quickly (at least once a day) properly to remove the plaque before it hardens up. Or use BreathDr rinse to prevent plaque buildup before it turns into tartar or calculus. The best treatment is always prevention.